On Friday evening, Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan joined three neighbourhood watch groups for a crime prevention patrol of Pelican Park. Patrol activities focused on encouraging youth participation, visibility, identifying vandalism of city infrastructure, and logging C3 notices.
The Residents Neighbourhood Watch (NHW), Patrol NHW and the Thembelihle NHW walked the streets of Pelican Park, joined by Ward 67 Cllr Gerry Gordon.
The series of Neighbourhood Watch support visits were started in February this year to offer ways to assist these community-based groups and to encourage increased community participation in various areas across the City.
In Pelican Park, LED torches were handed over to assist with patrol efforts.
Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato said crime prevention requires all of our efforts, including young people.
‘These NHW groups are motivated by the safety of their communities and their families and this deserves to be commended because they are showing care for others. They are known, even by the young people of this area, because of their visibility through patrolling and there is a noticeable respect for what they do,’ said Mayor Plato.
‘What else was noticed was that some of the streetlights had been vandalised. Vandals are pulling out the cables and this causes complaints from the public around inadequate lighting. The public often see this happening and we want to encourage residents to play a role in safeguarding infrastructure because it is for their benefit,’ added Mayor Plato.
Residents Neighbourhood Watch Chairperson, Marlon Johnstone, used to be involved in gangsterism until one day he decided to turn his life around. He helped start this NHW in 2019. During patrols, he said their key focus areas are the shops which would stay open until very late and illegal shebeens.
‘The spaza shops are a gathering point for young people and you often find that is where the gangsters are. Through our efforts we have managed to get these shops to close at 9pm to discourage illegal activity. If the shops close at 9pm, our area becomes very quiet. If there are people walking around after 10pm, then we know that they are up to no good. Where we need greater support from SAPS would be the illegal shebeens – people selling liquor from their private homes. This is an ongoing concern,’ said Johnstone.
The South African Police Service is the primary law enforcement agency, supported in the Cape Town metro by the City’s Law Enforcement and Metro Police. Although the Law Enforcement department’s main functions are by-law enforcement and addressing traffic violations, they are playing an increasingly broader role in joining the local communities to prevent crime.
‘From about 5am during the week, the NHW also patrol via bicycle and vehicle to help ensure the safety of residents making their way to work to prevent muggings. This has noticeably decreased and people feel safer,’ added Johnstone.
Rewina Pietersen, a youth member of the Residents NHW says she wanted to be an example to other young people in her community.
‘If other youth who know me and see me being active in the community, it may encourage them to do the same. I also joined the NHW because the youth of this community can inspire change for what we want in our neighbourhood. I have learned a lot and we are ultimately trying to build a relationship with SAPS and the community. The responsibility has to shift to us youth because the older generation won’t be able to lead this forever. Preventing crime is everyone’s responsibility. We need more young people to join us,’ said Pietersen.
NHW groups across the City have been active for more than a decade and have seen encouraging growth, with thousands of members now part of key crime prevention efforts within their respective communities.
Neighbourhood watch members can also become members of the Volunteer Law Enforcement Auxiliary Service (LEAS). In 2013, the Safety and Security Directorate launched LEAS, with prospective volunteers encouraged to first join their local neighbourhood watch before being recruited as a LEAS volunteer.
The Law Enforcement Auxiliaries Programme allows registered neighbourhood watch patrollers to apply. Once trained and equipped, these voluntary Law Enforcement officers can directly assist their NHWs with the powers of a peace officer, which further enhances safety within their own communities.